Pet Talks
by CityCat
Summary: From glimpses of Lucian growing up through Viktor's eyes, the bond between Vampire and Lycan is tested with the rising complications of the vampire lord's "pet project." Based on the third Underworld movie "Rise of the Lycans."
1. Lucian's Childhood

**Viktor's POV**

From the moment I saw the newborn baby boy on the floor of a dungeon, I knew Lucian was special. But whether he was a prodigy or just an especially dangerous kind of special, I could not know. _Kill it,_ my initial judgment commanded. _Nothing good could come out of the womb of such an abhorrent beast. _And yet, I couldn't. This child was seemingly human, and clearly a new species all his own. We vampires were growing in number, as did the number of werewolves that profaned our dominions with their presence. Power was in short supply, and any chance of acquiring a super-weapon could be the difference between eternal life and death for the vampire race.

In short, I took the baby as my ward and called him Lucian—a proper name for a fiercer kind of pet. I considered it for the first five years my sole duty to ensure the wellbeing of the child so that our success as well as his would rise to its utmost potential. At the end of Lucian's fifth year under my wing, I had the good fortune to become a father to a daughter—my little Sonja. Naturally, I could not raise a warrior and a princess simultaneously and had to decide my priorities. Sending Lucian away to be privately trained by vampire combat warriors marked the discussion topic of our first real talk.

"Lucian?" I called to the young child from a stone bench in the pavilion of my castle. The boy was playing with some wooden toys on the floor not too far away and perked his head up at the sound of his name.

"Yes, Master?" His bright eyes stared up at mine with curiosity and respect. In his private lessons with me, I taught him all that he needed to know for the targeted course of his life: respect for elders, humility, trust, honesty, his name, proper responses to his name or to his orders, and a wonderful work ethic. Good behavior was rewarded with edible treats or new toys; bad behavior resulted in privileges taken away or physical admonishment. He was a fast learner and had a commendable will to please, but my mind never strayed from the fact that he, as a product of beasts, was not and could not ever be equal to a vampire.

"Come here." The boy immediately stood up and abandoned his toys to be nearer to me, his large eyes looking to the empty half of bench by my side. I snapped my fingers and pointed to the ground in front of me. Without a second of hesitation, Lucian averted his gaze from the spot and planted himself at my feet. _Good boy,_ I mentally praised him. "We must discuss your future, Lucian. You are growing to be a big boy, and your years of being coddled like an infant are coming to an end." Lucien nodded his dark-haired head in either agreement or understanding. "As of tomorrow, you will begin your combat training with new instructors. They will teach you how to fight opponents, block attacks, and improve your physical skills. In return, you will not question them, disobey them, or use your instruction for any purposes aside from those being asked of you. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord," he replied in his small, boyish voice, nodding his head again.

To test if he really understood, I asked a follow-up question: "What will happen if you fight with your instructors?" Little Lucian pressed his lips together and stared at the ground in thought. After a few seconds, he made a fist with his right hand and imitated a throwing motion with his right arm with an accompanied _Wah-tsh! _noise. I stifled a small chuckle at his pantomime and nodded the affirmative with all seriousness. "That is correct. Furthermore, I would be very displeased with you. You would not want that, would you?"

"No, Master," Lucian answered almost immediately with his eyes still fixed on the ground.

"Good. Because I would hate to have to punish such a promising child as yourself." Lucian lifted his head and smiled at the praise. In his smile was a solemn promise that he would not disappoint me. Everything was going the way I wanted.

For the next five to seven years, I saw less of my ward but kept a continuous knowledge of his progress through my informants. "He is doing very well," they would say. "One minor injury to his arm, but he's healing fast." "Lucian is excelling beyond his years; he's even invented some of his own techniques." The results were always positive, and it made me happy to know that my time and resources invested in this child would not go to waste. When he began to show signs of budding male puberty, it was time for him to be evaluated. When presented with vampires to battle, Lucian stayed true to his promise and did not disappoint. His strength and agility rivaled that of about half of the grown male vampires in the coven. His reflexes were honed to where he could catch an arrow in midair before it could touch him. Out of my peripheral vision, my daughter Sonja was intently watching the performance.

"What do you think, Sonja? Shall we make more?" Lucian was still the only known one of his kind, and the test results were beyond successful by my judgment.

"Of him?" my daughter asked me in reply without taking her eyes off the boy.

"_Like_ him," I corrected for emphasis. Cloning was not possible, but expanding the breed was, assuming that his blood was the only requirement for the changing process. Lucian gazed up at me from where he stood victorious against his opponents, no doubt curious as to what I could mean by that. "Lucian will always be the first of the breed, the first of Lycans." The little Lycan boy liked the sound of that—being a "founding father" of a whole new species to come. I gestured for Sonja to head inside so that I may have a private talk with my most recent success.

"Lucian, I am most pleased with you," I told him once the spectators had disappeared from both sight and hearing range. "You have a very promising future ahead of you."

"Thank you, my lord," Lucian beamed with triumph. He was not as emotionally responsive as when he was a little one, but that was to be expected among vampire men. It seemed that nothing was a greater joy to him than knowing that his guardian, his closest companion and caregiver, was happy with him. At a sudden thought, however, the smile disappeared. "What will happen to me now?"

"I want you to help me create my army," I summarized in short. "I will bring you the humans that you will need, and then you will change them with your blood." Lucian nodded in compliance. Of course he would do that small favor. Then, another question came to mind.

"Please, Master. How do I change them?" I knew he had seen a vampire change someone before, but as Lucian was a first in most respects, I hadn't a definite answer.

"You will know. I will help you."

As I had promised, the human prisoners were soon on their way to my castle. Word got around the vampire community that my plan to create a guardian species would bring security to my domain, and many flocked from all corners of the world to join my coven. My number in vampire guards grew, as did my quota for the new species. Every vampire wanted to share in the glory of having their own brand-new Lycan guardian to watch over their bodies in the daylight hours. To make this dream a reality, I gave my men simple instructions: pit Lucian against the humans and let his blood thirst be his guide to duplicate the species.

In under twenty-four hours of the humans' arrival, I had my answer: Lycans did indeed change their prey in a similar fashion to vampires. A simple bite on the neck was all it took before the human stock began to mutate into the stronger, faster, more agile new species. My vampire followers were floored and revered me for my genius find of Lucian. I spoke again with the boy after the first couple days as I felt that he could do with a little fresh air out of the dungeons.

"How do you feel knowing that you've single-handedly improved the security of our lives?" I inquired. Lucian allowed a long pause and took in a deep breath. For the first time in his life, he did not know what to say. "Is something troubling you, Lucian?"

"The new ones," he began with fear and worry reflective in his eyes. "They don't like their masters at all. They…They fight a lot." He frowned deeply with an emotion I recognized as shame. He had held himself responsible for the new breed being created and worked it in his mind that the project would be a glorious end to my every last worry. Now, seeing that his expectations did not even closely match the actual results, he could not help but feel that he had let me down.

"Do know that their behavior is not your fault, Lucian. They are wild and must be tamed. Then they will be as sweet as you are." That answer seemed to satisfy him, or at least take some of the pressure off of his shoulders. As with all good strokes of fortune, the bad strokes are soon to follow. The plan had become more complicated than I had anticipated. Naturally, I predicted that free men made to surrender their wills were not going to be the most compliant at first. This was also a great hindrance to Lucian, whose obedience was likely to be corrupted by these new savage Lycans. Humans were strong-spirited creatures, and breaking them was going to be a long and tedious process. Lucian was bound to feel sympathy for the creatures he helped create as he was never exposed to such an intense level of violence on a group scale. I resolved, therefore, to isolate him from the rest for a while until the Lycans were more compliant.

"I could talk to them, Master," he suggested. "I could show them that they can be happy here." _What an intelligent boy._

"A thoughtful suggestion," I commended him. "But I would advise against it. As good as your intentions are, these beings were not raised with the common sense of knowing right from wrong as you were. They will mark you as an enemy, and I would not want you hurt. I would be more at ease if I knew you were safe in a secluded area." Then a curious idea came to my thoughts. To manage such a rowdy population, our holding cells would not be enough to subdue the new Lycans for much longer. For the breaking-in process, we would need more equipment: whips, chains, shackles, muzzles, swords, arrows, and armor, and anything else we could need to make my original plan a success. _Metal._ "In the meantime, why don't you take up blacksmithing? Think of it as a rewarding hobby that will increase your contribution to our society."

"Yes, my lord. I will find someone to teach me. Thank you." And so ended another one of our few private conversations. I had someone escort Lucian to his new home, a cottage ideal for a blacksmith's workshop, and I assigned someone else to keep an eye on him to make sure he would not be corrupted by the rest of his species.

The most distressing of our talks was not even a full week later when my guards reported that the adult Lycans had discovered how to shape-shift at will, resulting in a handful of injuries for the vampire race. Worst of all, I had to face my impatient coven members who I had aimed to impress. _You said that this was going to be a revolutionary success! Now, we just have something of a revolution! They just can't be controlled in their wild state! _In case you did not know this about me by now, I am a problem-solver. My solution: Keep them from phasing into their werewolf bodies. The blacksmith that Lucian was keeping in contact with set to work on a secret order of mine: two-hundred metal chokers designed for the necks of the average human male. I saw the prototype of the moon shackle and gave my approval before they were mass produced. The choker was a simple metal ring with pointed teeth facing inward at the front of the neck that fastened with a bar lock. There was no physical way a collared Lycan could attempt to phase without becoming impaled by the sharp spikes. Once the chokers were applied to the new species, they became much more responsive to pain and were showing positive signs of compliance. Soon, only one choker was left and only one Lycan remained with a bare neck. Both were reduced to zero on the day I paid Lucian a visit to his house.

"Good day, my lord," he greeted me fondly at the door, stepping aside to let me in. "How are you?"

"I am doing much better, Lucian. Thank you." I kept the small device hidden about my person as it would be a shock to him. "How is your progress?"

"Growing, my lord," he replied with proud eyes and an accomplished smile. He went to the workshop portion of his cottage and picked up a large sword from the cooling rack. It was two and a half feet of silver with a platinum handle, had decorative jewels crested inside, and sported a fine point just as sharp as he. "What do you think of my first sword?" He offered me to hold it, and I picked it up to test its weight and balance. As usual, my ward did not disappoint. It appeared that he had a natural gift for this profession and I told him as such.

"My pride for you swells with every achievement, my boy. When your training with your instructor is over, I hereby appoint you as head blacksmith of our coven." Lucian gasped with surprise at the position bestowed upon him and bowed his head with esteem.

"Thank you, Master. This is an honor I do not take lightly. I shall strive for perfection always." On the topic of accomplishments, he added after a pause, "How are the other Lycans faring?"

"Much better," I answered honestly. "They are now starting to accept their new lives with both feet forward, as the expression goes…once some changes were made."

"What sort of changes, my lord?" came the obvious follow-up question. At this point in time, I could not soften the truth any more than I had done before. I now had a reputation to keep among my vampire company. Vampires first, Lycans second, which included my own foundling.

"Lucian, put the sword away and we shall talk at the table." He did as I ordered and joined me at the table for what would be the longest conversation yet. "Last week, I received complaints that the other Lycans were unmanageable because of their tendencies to turn into their wild wolf forms, as you did when you were thirsty enough." Lucian nodded, listening intently. "So in order to initiate their training, I made a decree requiring every Lycan to wear a specially made collar to prevent shape-shifting." Lucian nonchalantly touched his neck with the top of his fingers, now looking away from me with questioning suspicion in his blank stare. The silence around us could have been cut with a knife.

"I never change without special permission, Master." It was true; he didn't. "And you know I would never defy you or cause you any trouble." I did know. "Everything I've ever done was directed toward pleasing you." Indeed. "Are you…going to collar _me,_ Master?" I looked into his eyes for a long moment, nonverbally conveying my apologies as I held up the metal choker for him to see. Lucian's face fell as I locked the device onto his neck and stowed away the key. That was the first instance I realized that this half-human, half-wolf creature was capable of crying.

"I cannot change what has been done," I stated as a matter of fact. "I must think of the coven as a whole first. Do not take this as a break of my trust in you. This is only a precaution, and such precautions must be fair to all members." Normally at this point, Lucian would nod and agree, but he stayed quiet and unresponsive for a moment.

"You think I am only one of them?" He said this as more of an accusation than a question.

"Whether we like it or not, you _are_ a Lycan. You are all Lycan and no vampire; you must abide by their rules." Another pause ensued.

"Meaning no disrespect, my lord—you are correct, of course—does not my loyalty and devotion to you all these years count for anything in regards to my treatment, perhaps not to my kind, but at least to me?"

"Certainly," I assured him. "I just made you head blacksmith, did I not? No matter what, you will always be my first and favorite Lycan. The collar, I'm afraid, is not negotiable, but do not think that I am blind to your wonderful qualities. I shall always be proud of you." Lucian brightened up at these words and gave a small smile.

"Really?"

"Lucian, I've come to care for you as if you were my own son."

As he always knew that he was a cut above the average, Lucian remained devoted to me for many years after that conversation. He and I shared many political viewpoints and visions for our coven despite the fact that he had been slowly worked into the acceptance of Lycan servitude. He continues to do wonders with metal and sets a positive example of an exemplary work ethic for the rest of his kind. As for me, the original idea of turning Lycans into daytime guardians was not successful. No amount of time could undo their stubbornness and pride. Fear of pain, therefore, had become the prime driver of production instead of honor or loyalty. The foundation of proper ethics must start from parenting to build a standard of values, and then the rest of productive society follows. Speaking of which, I wonder where my daughter ran off to…


	2. Someday, But Not Today

**Lucian's POV**

When I grew to be fifteen, or sixteen—I'm not sure how old I am anymore—I started to really question Viktor's plans for my kind, the Lycans. First, we were meant to be guardians, which I took to mean some sort of friendly partnership agreement with the vampires. They would give us food, shelter, and anything we needed, and we in return would protect them in their vulnerable day hours. Like soldiers in an army, if one wanted to be nice. Or like "guard dogs" as I had come to know where the Lycans really stood with the vampires. The silver-toothed collars were the first sign of separation between Viktor and I. Until that point, I had his trust in my obedience, but I could think of no reason how I had done anything to break that trust. He had claimed that it was for protection, a precaution, so that none of the Lycans could shift into our stronger wolfish bodies that could rival a vampire's and do some serious damage. I in turn requested for the Lycans to be allowed to carry daggers on them to protect themselves from any violent vampires…but as usual, Viktor had an answer for everything.

"Why would a vampire want to harm a Lycan, Lucien? Your kind is very much wanted here. It would not make logical sense to create something, only to destroy it later." Viktor tore his gaze from me to glance at some of the jewel-laden weaponry on a mantle that I had recently made in my workshop. Those particular ones were not primarily for combat, but for fashionable decoration. Viktor's daughter Sonja loved them so, and she stopped by every so often to see my new creations. I wouldn't ever melt any of my pieces back down if they made at least one person happy.

"No, that would not make sense at all," I agreed. I raised a hand to my collar, which immediately called Viktor's attention back to me. His look was grave, watching to see if I was going to attempt to tug it off. I merely touched it once to acknowledge its presence, and then let my hand drop. "But my lord, why would a Lycan want to harm a vampire?" To be honest, all I saw was aggressiveness on the vampires' part. Viktor sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead.

"That is the inconvenient part of their human nature, traits that they had carried with the change." Now, I was to be separated from my own kind. I was born a Lycan, and was never once entirely human. "Humans are naturally prideful and lazy, and will avoid work whenever possible. That is when force must be applied—to break them from their maladaptive human habits." A Lycan, by a rough definition, is a combination of a werewolf and a human. Through the collar, the wolf portion is controlled. Through other means, such as physical pain and restriction of food, the human portion is controlled. A rising sensation of frustration coursed through me; what was left of our identity now? Viktor read my face and continued, "You are different, Lucien. Believe that. You have always been a hard worker, and you have never disobeyed my orders or acted against my wishes. You have never been punished because you have never needed it. Is that a good enough answer for you?"

"Yes, Master," I responded with a curt nod. Now that I thought about it, I really was different from the rest. I was the only one with permission to make weapons and keep them in my home. Speaking of which, I was the only Lycan that actually _had_ a home; everyone else had to sleep where they could be supervised. Even the vampire sentries, those in charge of looking out for werewolves around the castle and also of the Lycans' nightly production, hardly ever bothered me. Occasionally, one would pay me a visit to inspect my house for anything out of the ordinary—probably to be sure I was not hiding someone—and then leave just as quickly. Viktor was correct; I really was different from the rest. Or at least, I was certainly treated better than the rest.

Then, I began to discover the double-standards. One day while I was forming silver arrowheads for crossbows, I happened to catch a young vampire teenager run off with one of my handsomely made jeweled daggers. Without missing a beat, I placed my tools on a cooling rack and ran after her. "Wait…Stop!" I shouted, drawing the attention of the vampire sentries in my area. The vampire girl kept running, heading straight for Viktor's castle. The vampire sentries were soon behind me, but I was right behind the girl. "Thief! Give it back to me!"

"Stop, Lucien," ordered a guard. Internally growling in frustration, I forced myself to a halt. The guards caught up with me and stopped as well instead of pursuing the perpetrator. My eyes burned with displeasure as I saw the girl disappear in the sanctuary of the castle where Lycans were forbidden unless ordered. I looked up at the guard who had called me.

"Sir, she has stolen from me. Will you retrieve my dagger and report her theft?" Much to my surprise and dismay, the pale-faced creature tilted his head back and laughed.

"_Stole? _Vampires don't steal, Lycan. You work for _us_; we will take what we need." I felt my face burn at the injustice of what I had just heard. Until now, I felt that I was working for the wellbeing of the entire community as an act of gratitude for what has been provided for me. Now that the vampires had fiendish whips at their sides, accessible and ready for use, they were unafraid to tell me the truth: just how much of a slave, a "dog," I really was. I couldn't decide if I ought to retaliate in anger, or burst into the castle to directly tell Viktor what had happened. My expression must have said it all, for the guard continued, "Get over it, blacksmith. You can make yourself another one." In the end, I stood my ground and decided that this incident wasn't worth acting out. Both of my initial options were definitely punishable offenses. I must choose my battles wisely. So I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, turned around, and silently walked back to my house.

I didn't know why that girl felt the need to sneak into my home and take the dagger, but I felt deeply violated at the sentry's response to the crime, even if it was petty. Lycans never got special pardons or exemptions for violating the rules. Viktor promised me that even I was susceptible to the same degree of punishment as the rest of the Lycans if I stepped out of line. Why should vampires be let off the hook? I couldn't stand the double-standard hypocrisy at work before my eyes. That was like saying torturing someone was really "enhanced interrogation," or like calling military aggression on citizens a "defense operation," or even referring to terrorization as "protecting and serving." Viktor was no longer a fair leader, and my respect for him greatly declined. _One day, I will be pushed to the brink of a revolution. Someday_…

When I closed my eyes, I could hear the labored breathing of my kind as they struggled under the loads of manual labor that had been forced upon them. For the first time in my life, I dreamed of escape. I would take as many Lycans as I could and run away into morning when the vampires couldn't follow without being reduced to ashes. But I was still very young and not even fully grown. A plan this great required more thinking and more time. "Hello, blacksmith," a young female voice greeted me. I turned my head to the front door to see the dark brown head of Viktor's now-teenaged daughter Sonja sticking out in a bit of a playful manner.

"Good day, my lady," I responded with a slight bow, moving to the door to open it wider. "Is there something I can do for you?" Sonja smiled cheerfully, or was it mischievous?

"I have a present for you," she informed me as she stepped inside. She pulled out my stolen dagger from somewhere about her person and held it out for me to take. "I made a bet with my friend that she couldn't get away with it. Now, I owe her one of my dresses." She shrugged nonchalantly as I took the dagger and returned it to its original place. I smiled gratefully for Sonja's visit. She certainly knew how to brighten my day when a little cheering up was most needed.

"Not the black satin one, I hope," I responded, feeling much at ease now. "Black is your favorite color, after all." Sonja shook her head.

"No, the royal blue one. I didn't even like it anyway." Sonja was not one for dresses much. She preferred the outfits that she could move around in and that did not feel like a "cocoon" on her slender figure. She stared up at me with inquisitive eyes. "Do you have a present for me?" My smile vanished as I looked around. I had my decorative pieces—which were mine—and the only other projects were for my weekly quotas for Viktor.

"Sorry, my lady. I do not." I lowered my head apologetically. "But I might be able to craft you something when I have the time…"

"Oh, don't bother," Sonja sighed with a dismissal wave of her little hand. "I'm sick of getting presents." She shook her head with another shrug. "Everyone always wants to give me gifts as if I've done something special. But it's just because I'm my father's daughter." She made herself comfortable in one of my chairs and propped her elbows up on my table to hold her head in her hands. "It's getting old." Her gaze met mine and a warm smile radiated from her face, sending me warmth like rays of sunshine on a cloudy day. "But I like you, blacksmith. You are the most real friend I have." I inhaled a silent breath at her words in awe of her kindness and sat myself down on the other side of the table to join her.

"You can call me Lucien." Real friends called each other by their names, not by their occupations.

"And you can call me Sonja," she eagerly replied. The sound of a whip-crack not too far from my house shattered the warmth I felt inside. I now saw the complications of maintaining this friendship.

"Then we will be on a first-name basis from now on…Sonja." I leaned forward secretly to emphasize the seriousness of what I was about to say next. "But only when we're alone. In public, or in front of anyone else, we must call each other by formal titles. Okay?" Sonja arched an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side.

"Why must we keep it a secret? I don't care what anyone else thinks." False. She did care about what her father thought of her. She quickly figured out, as I have, that those who are in Viktor's good graces will be able to enjoy privileges and live comfortably.

"Because it will upset your father," I murmured back, keeping my voice low in case a sentry was around the area. "According to him and the rest of the vampires, Lycans are dangerous."

"But _you're _not dangerous," Sonja objected. "And I can defend myself, thank you very little." I had to admire the spirit and wit in this young woman. Still, she did not yet calculate the seriousness of the issue.

"Disagreeing with your father is the same as disobeying. If anyone finds out that you are paying me friendly visits, we will both be punished." I met her gaze with a pleading stare. "Please. You wouldn't want me hurt, do you?" Her eyes widened at the terrible thought and frowned.

"Of course not!"

"Then you will keep our friendship a secret?" I asked once more.

"Yes. Our secret." Her beautiful smile returned and I exhaled with peaceful relief.

"Thank you." I stood up and peered out of the small window of my house. The work day was almost over and daybreak would soon begin. I retreated back into the room. "You must go now. The sun will be here soon." She stood up urgently and nodded.

"Father must be looking for me." Before heading to the door, she crossed to where I was standing and wrapped her arms around my middle. "Goodbye, Lucien." I tensed up on instinct as I was certain such displays of affection were against what was considered appropriate. I was so taken aback in shock that I couldn't bring myself to return the gesture. After the three longest seconds of my life, she released me and turned to the door. "I'll be seeing you around…blacksmith," she finished with a wink.

"Have a peaceful rest, my lady," I responded with a formal bow. With that, she disappeared into the labyrinth of tunnels that formed the Lycan working grounds. I worried for her safety in the event that she would get caught, but then I reminded myself that she was a smart one who had undergone the same process more than a handful of times over. From the door of my home, I saw the rest of my species line up to return their tools to a pile before being herded away to the dungeons to sleep under lock and key. Viktor told me once that others would join me in keeping vigilance once they were proven trustworthy, but none so far had been singled out. _No exceptions, no mercy… _The metal collar on my neck grew heavy, reminding me of its weight. _A revolution will come. Someday…_Sonja's sweet face popped into the middle of my thoughts. She had made a promise of friendship with a Lycan—with me. The happiness I felt in our brief moments together made me forget about the hardships of injustice and the ghastly shackle that marked me as a beast. As she promised silence to me, I, too, could be silent for her—at least for a little while longer. _Someday…but not today._


End file.
